by Stacey Wilk
Jake’s was busy for a Wednesday night. Almost every table was taken, and many heads turned when Blaise and Colton walked in. Grace felt like part of an entourage and smiled, thinking how much Jenn would eat this up. She’d have to call her later and tell her. Other than a few waves, no one got up from their tables to bother them.
She wished she and Blaise were alone. She wanted to ask more about Claire Phillips. She hadn’t had a chance to search the internet for this woman. Could Claire Phillips be the break she’d been looking for?
Blaise chose the seat next to hers. She could feel his heat against her skin. A sense of relief washed over her as Colton sat opposite his brother. Chloe and Cash huddled at the end of the table, their heads bent over her phone, sharing something. Hopefully, Chloe used her good sense. As much as Grace liked Cash, there wasn’t room in Chloe’s near future for a relationship. Would Chloe think it weird if Grace and Blaise got together, especially if the two teens liked each other? The whole situation was weird, and she couldn’t help but giggle.
“What’s so funny?” Blaise said.
Heat filled her cheeks. “Nothing. What’s everyone having?” She craned her neck to read the board with the menu selections.
The conversation turned to food and house renovations. “Grace, I think you’ll make your deadline,” Colton said.
Donna, the waitress, slid up alongside Colton, her pen poised over her notebook. “Hi, y’all. Grace, how’s the car?”
Grace stared at her. “My car? What do you mean?”
“You know… The other day, you were stranded on the side of the road and Blaise had to come pick you up.”
“I ran out of gas. Wait. You knew about that?”
“Honey, everyone knows.” Donna winked at her. She took their orders and sashayed away.
“I hope we make the deadline. Everything is riding on that.” Grace thought about Claire Phillips and the possibility of finding out who bought the house for her. A lot was riding on that too. Maybe more.
“Old Beau is making good time, and now that I’m on the job, things will go smoothly.”
Blaise threw a balled-up napkin at Colton. “Shut up. Please.”
The conversation turned to music. “Did you ever listen to the songs I sent you?” Blaise leaned back in his chair and stared at Colton.
His strong leg brushed against hers sending shivers across her skin. She averted her gaze to the salt and pepper shakers. Better not to get caught staring.
Donna brought out the food. Colton smirked. “Yeah. They’re not bad, but we can’t put them into rotation.”
Blaise sat up straight, dropping his burger back on the plate. “Why not?”
The tension took a seat at their table. The kids ignored them.
“The songs aren’t our sound. The fans don’t want to hear stuff like that from us. We haven’t practiced them. I want to change the chords around. What about Troy’s lyrics? You really think he’s going to sing a song he didn’t write the words for? The songs need work. Not this tour, another one maybe.”
“My songs are good. You don’t need to change anything, and I can handle Troy.”
“Not how I see it.”
“You don’t have the final say. I sent the songs to Troy and Patrick.”
Colton clenched his jaw. He gripped his glass of water and took a swig. “You sent those songs without telling me?”
“I don’t need your permission.” Blaise gritted his teeth.
Colton slammed his hand down on the table. Grace gripped her chair. Cash and Chloe jumped.
“We stick together. Always.”
“Not when you’re being an ass.”
“Hey, guys, maybe we should change the subject.” Grace kept her voice low. Other people were looking now. Someone was bound to take a video of this.
“I’ll change the subject,” Colton said with a smirk. “I have the tour dates. Joe called a few hours ago. We leave July fifteenth.”
“Isn’t that a few days before the fundraiser?” Grace looked to Blaise for an answer.
“He’s going to have to miss it.” Colton popped a fry into his mouth.
She turned to Blaise. “But you can’t. You promised Savannah, and she’s begun selling tickets because you’re going to be there.” Would he really let his sister down like that? Would Colton do that to Savannah? From the look on his smug face, Grace thought he just might.
Blaise shot Colton a look. “I can always fly in for the fundraiser and fly back out if I have to, but I don’t anticipate there being a problem.”
Grace pushed her salad away.
“If we’ve got a show that night, you’re not flying back.” Colton leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. The tension got out of its seat and climbed on top of the table, sizzling.
“I’ll speak to Joe. It’s covered.” Blaise stood and threw money down on the table. “Cash, you want a ride back?”
Grace handed Blaise his money. “It’s my treat.”
He threw his hands in the air. “Keep it. Cash?”
Cash looked up at his father.
“I can take him back if he’s still eating,” Grace said. Did that mean she’d have to take Colton back too because it was clear Blaise wasn’t giving him a ride.
“I’ll stay,” Cash said.
Blaise weaved his way through the tables. Someone stopped him and shook his hand. Hopefully, that guy didn’t hear the argument.
“My brother is moody.” Colton popped another fry in his mouth. “He’ll get over it, though. He always does.”
“You were mad about the songs, so you wanted to get back at him. You knew he wanted to be in town for the fundraiser, but you didn’t care. Is that what just happened here?”
“He would never have been in Heritage River in the first place if he didn’t go and bust up his hand anyway. No one told him to climb the damn scaffolding. Well, that’s not entirely true, but since when does he listen?”
“It was you who dared him? Weren’t you worried he could fall and break his neck?”
He laughed. “You don’t know my brother. He’s always the one jumping first and asking questions later. Did he tell you about the time we got kicked out of a hotel because he jumped off a balcony into the pool? He missed some lady and the concrete by inches. I didn’t have to dare him to do that, believe me. I don’t have to dare him to race cars or drive motorcycles or the other crazy things he does either. This time he got hurt. Shit happens.”
He was right. She didn’t know Blaise at all. A picnic at the lake and a kiss on her patio didn’t make her an expert on Blaise Savage. Did she think she was in some kind of a romance novel? She was the jilted house renovator swept away by the good looks and dashing smile of the neighbor. Now she was acting like a fool thinking she had some kind of handle on the kind of man he was. What kind of a grown man jumps off a balcony? Not one for her, that was for sure.
But the way he cared about his son. And the softness in his eyes when he played his music for her. He had offered to help her find the prior owner of the house. Or the clear hurt he felt because his brother disregarded him. What about that side of Blaise Savage?
“If you’ll excuse me. Kids, I’ll be right back.” Grace followed the path Blaise took and hoped he hadn’t gone too far.
The warm night air met her as she pushed through the door onto the empty sidewalk. The businesses were shut up for the night. Only the Cream and Sugar up the street was crowded with customers. The on-street parking was full, and she searched for Blaise’s truck.
“Blaise,” Grace yelled as he bent to pick up something he dropped. Thankfully, he hadn’t pulled away. He turned at the sound of her voice.
She mustered up the courage she needed and crossed the street. Happy children squealed into the night, laughing and chasing each other with ice cream running down their hands.
“What’s up, Grace?”
She met his stormy gaze. “What just happened in there?”
“Nothing you nee
d to worry about.” He clenched his jaw and shoved his hand in his pocket. “Is there anything else? I want to get back.”
“Did you know he was going to schedule the tour dates over the fundraiser?” She wanted to understand him.
“There was always the possibility.”
“What are you going to do?” It wasn’t her place to try to fix things, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
“I’ll talk to our manager, but if the shows are scheduled, it’s too late. We can’t cancel again. I’ll have to go.”
“But what about the fundraiser?”
“Savannah will understand. She’s used to us.”
But Grace didn’t understand. “How can you make a promise and then just go back on it like that when people are counting on you?” She’d spent her entire life being there for other people. She couldn’t just walk away from a responsibility.
“It’s the nature of the beast. I have to go on tour. Look, my hand is bothering me. I’d like to get home and take some of the pain meds.” He didn’t meet her eye when he spoke.
She wasn’t so sure he was telling the truth. He never complained about his hand. “Why is this tour so important?” She should let it go. Let him get in his truck and drive away, but she couldn’t. Why was his appearance at this fundraiser so important to her anyway? Did she really care that much about the library or Heritage River? Wasn’t she ready to go back to Jersey? Until that moment she thought she had one foot out the door already.
He let out a long breath. “Making a living is important to everyone. Touring is just how I do it. I need the money, Grace. You understand needing money, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.” She smoothed down her shirt.
“Do you mind if we talk about Claire Phillips tomorrow? It’s getting late and my hand.” He raised his bandaged hand and offered a sweet smile. His gray eyes twinkled in the lamplight.
It was late, after all. She was ready to climb onto her air mattress and forget about the day. Especially this disastrous dinner.
“I’ll stop by tomorrow.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. The sensation of his soft lips against her skin lingered as he straightened up. “Be careful with my kid.” He winked at her, the casual expression back on his face. He slid into the truck. He either didn’t hold a grudge or faked his feelings well. She hoped it wasn’t the latter.
She turned before he pulled away. Colton pushed through the doors and stepped outside. He lit a cigarette and waved to her. She hesitated before crossing back over Main Street, not knowing what to say to him.
When she reached him, he handed her a fistful of money. “This is Blaise’s. He won’t take it from me. Slip it to him when he isn’t looking, okay? I took care of dinner.” She folded the money and put it in her pocket.
“Dinner was supposed to be my treat.”
“I crashed the party and pissed off my kid brother. Lets me save face in front of my nephew.” He blew the smoke away from her.
“That’s kind of you. Paying for dinner, I mean.”
“I’m not a total asshole.” He smiled. The lines around his eyes deepened. He had gray stubble on his chin and more gray in his hair than Blaise. He was definitely easy on the eyes.
“What’s it like being, you know, you?” The words stuck and stumbled out of her mouth, but Colton laughed anyway.
“You mean being in a country-rock band or being the older brother in the small Savage family from a little town in the South?” He leaned against the glass window, all his usual bravado slipping away.
What was it like being from this small place? Was he trying to run away from something his siblings seemed at peace with?
The sounds from the ice cream shop had died down. When Grace looked over her shoulder, most of the cars had gone too.
“No one expected much from me.” He stamped out his cigarette, and she was secretly glad. “I never did well in school because all I wanted to do was play music. Since our dad was the music teacher, my lack of interest in academics was a problem. Every teacher made the extra effort to encourage me. I fought them all the way. Blaise, he was wild, but he did well in school. My father hoped Blaise would do more with his life. Not that being a music teacher was bad, but our dad wanted to be a musician in an orchestra. Like our mother was until she died in a bus accident on the way to a show. We were young and my dad needed to stay home with us, so he became a teacher. Until then they took us on the road with them. That life got in my blood and I couldn’t let it get away, but my dad, he didn’t want rock and roll in our lives. That wasn’t real music to him. But that’s what paid. And we were great at it.” Colton looked off into the distance at some memory. “That’s what it’s like being me. Are you sorry you asked?”
“No, not at all.”
“I’m going to walk home. The fresh air will clear my head and give Blaise time to simmer down. My brother likes you.”
Heat warmed her neck. She liked him too. “He’s very nice.”
Colton smirked. “Way nicer than I am. Give him a chance. See you tomorrow, Grace.”
His comment stunned her. He allowed his feelings for his family to peek out like a slip showing under a skirt. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and watched until the screen said the call went to voice mail. She’d call Jenn back later. Colton’s back grew distant as the night swallowed him up.
He was still hoping to get his father’s approval. Grace could understand that. Their father might be gone, and Grace never really knew hers, but that didn’t mean somewhere deep down she didn’t secretly wish her father thought about her. She often wondered on her birthday or Christmas if the man was even still alive, if he thought about her at all.
She never bothered to try to find him. If he didn’t want her, then she didn’t want him either. She didn’t need him or anyone.
Chloe and Cash pushed through the door. “Jeez, Mom, were you like going to leave without us?” Chloe handed Grace her purse.
“Yes, that was my plan all night. Drag you out here, feed you, and then leave you for some child snatcher to come along and grab two adult teens and whisk them away when no one was looking.” She fished her keys out of the bottom of her bag. “You two ready? Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Blaise watered his pathetic garden. He made sure to get at the roots of the plants and not just the tops. The dirt had to be saturated, so he kept the spray light and he lingered. Watering the garden wasn’t much different from the melody of a sweet song, light and lingering, but for some reason plants didn’t respond to his touch the way notes and rhythms did. Or the way he suspected Grace would.
The construction had begun for the day. Yelling and banging drifted over from next door. Today some of the yelling came from Cash and Jud. Their differences were coming to a head. Hopefully, they’d figure it out, but Blaise wasn’t so sure. They should get along, but just because you were related didn’t mean you had to like each other.
He certainly wasn’t liking his brother much at the moment. He was avoiding Colton and so far doing a pretty good job of it. Blaise rolled the hose up and brushed the dirt from his brace. He had lied to Grace about the pain meds. He hadn’t touched anything stronger than ibuprofen since the accident. The need to get away from Jake’s and Colton was too strong. He couldn’t stay around and risk punching his brother in the face. Not in front of Cash anyway.
Time was up. He couldn’t avoid going next door any longer. Grace wanted to find out about Claire Phillips. He promised to help her, and whether she thought so or not, he kept his promises. Well, he tried anyway.
Blaise rounded the yard as Jud ran out of the house and jumped down the steps. Cash followed, his face scrunched and his fist clenched. He dove off the porch and landed on Jud, knocking him to the ground. Both boys rolled in the dirt. Cash landed on top and raised his hand. Jud kicked and squirmed under Cash’s strong legs.
“Cash,” Grace yelled from the porch. “Stop.”
Chloe pushed past her
mother. “Cash, don’t.”
Blaise forced his legs forward and lunged for his son. He gripped Cash’s arm, but not before Cash swung. Jud shoved Cash with a final push and rolled away. Cash’s hand collided with Jud’s shoulder instead of his face, and Cash fell over, almost taking Blaise with him. Jud pushed up from the ground, ready to pounce on Cash.
Blaise threw up his bad hand. “Stop,” he yelled, wanting his voice to startle Jud into reality.
Colton bolted down the steps and stood between the boys. Cash shoved Blaise away and stood on his own.
“You assholes need to knock it off,” Colton said.
“What the hell is going on?” Blaise wiped his hair away from his face. His heart hammered out quarter notes in his chest.
Cash wiped the spit from his mouth. “Nothing.”
“This wasn’t nothing. Now tell me what happened.” Blaise knew by Cash’s set jaw the possibility of getting an answer was slim. He didn’t know what to do. Did he push for an answer or wait until Cash was ready to talk? Should he take his phone away or something? What did his dad do when he and Colton fought?
Cash crossed his arms over his chest.
“How about you? You want to tell me?” Blaise turned to Jud. Maybe some of his sister’s sense would leak out of her boy.
“You saw it. He knocked me down and started a fight.”
Blaise gritted his teeth. “Colton, did you see anything?”
“I was in the back of the house when they started yelling. By the time I got down the ladder, they were out here beating each other up.” Colton spit on the ground.
“I’ll tell you what happened.” Beau limped down the steps and deposited himself between Cash and Jud. His face was a flaming red. “These two knuckleheads got a beef, and I don’t want no beef on my job sites. You’re both fired.”
“He started it.” Cash’s voice cracked.
“Look at him,” Jud smirked. “The makeup, the hair. He’s a loser that starts trouble everywhere he goes. And he’s got shit for brains. He started the fight. Not me. “
Jud glared at Cash, his face stretched into a snarl. Blaise saw his nephew in a way he hadn’t before, and the hairs on his arm stood up. Jud was the instigator. He always had been, but Blaise wanted to keep the peace and believed Cash could be the troublemaker. How stupid could he be? Did he allow his son to be hurt by Jud? This fight was his fault too.